Page:Iran Air Flight 655 investigation.djvu/125

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small boats when they appeared to present no further threat to his units.

(4) His decision to disengage was changed only when the small boats began to close his units.

(5) The small boats have greater speed and maneuverability than the USS VINCENNES.

(6) The small boats carry weapons capable of inflicting significant personnel and equipment casualties.

(7) Experience with small boat tactics shows that the greatest threat they present is personnel and equipment casualties when they make high speed massed attacks on their targets, raking the superstructures of ships with gunfire and rockets.

(8) The small boats did not turn away after the VINCENNES fired its first round, but continued to close.

hh. CJTFME considered the following indicators in granting permission to engage the small boats:

(1) Positive identification of the boats as those having committed a hostile act against a U.S. ship.

(2) The small boats were not leaving the area.

(3) The small boats were closing the USS VINCENNES AND USS MONTGOMERY.

ii. USS MONTGOMERY and USS VINCENNES disengaged from the small boats when they ceased presenting a threat to U.S. ships.

C.AIR ENGAGEMENT

1.Data Extraction Background

a. USS VINCENNES's magnetic tapes containing data extracted from her SPY-1A, Command and Decision, and Weapons Control System computers, were transferred by courier from USS VINCENNES to Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren (NSWC) on 5 July 1988.

b. NSWC Dahlgren signed a receipt for the tapes on 6 July 1988.

c. NSWC Dahlgren copied the tapes and performed data reduction on the USS VINCENNES's tapes IAW standard procedures.

d. The results of that.ata reduction are included as [ ].

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